Many know that Apatite is a 5 on the Mohs scale, and that translates into it being less hard than, say, a steel blade. In my experience, a Mohs 5 means this stone is just hard enough for you to think it's OK to force too-big wire through too-small holes, and just soft enough for you to break about half the beads you try to force. Also from personal experience, don't dunk a finished piece of Apatite into any patinating agents. It doesn't end well.

It's got an incredible design range.

The range of colors, as well as the way the stone lends itself to different cuts and finishes makes this a stone-type of myriad possibility. I firmly believe that there is an Apatite bead style to appeal to just about any designer's aesthetic.

Green Apatite 6-10mm Faceted Nuggets

It's considered a "dual action" stone.

If the metaphysical properties are your jam, it's worth noting that all Apatite is said to clear out negative energy and confusion while drawing in energy that stimulates the mind to grow in knowledge and truth. Specific Apatite colors are associated with some additional properties as well. For example, Green Apatite is said to connect the wisdom of the mind to the energy of heart, and Blue Apatite is said to promote independence and ambition.

It's great fertilizer.

Most of the Apatite family exists within phosphate rocks better suited to fertilizer than jewelry because the Apatite crystal masses are too small to be seen without a microscope.

ds Blue Apatite

It's in moon rocks.Yup. Moon rocks from the Apollo missions showed traces of Apatite. In 2010, further analysis revealed that the water trapped in these traces as hydroxyl was potentially enough to, at a minimum, convert into about three feet of water across the surface of the moon if the "trapped" water was hypothetically converted.

Erin, Dakota Stones

So, basically, Apatite might help us live on the moon. (At least, I'm hoping so, I haven't found a scientist who'll back me on that- also, while I love picturing tons of gemstone deposits throughout the moon, I'm pretty sure this is the fertilizer-grade stuff, not a call to start mining rough on the moon).